Pneumatic cash-carrier apparatus



(No Modell) M. BARYRI.

PNBUMATIGGASH CARRIER APPARATUS. No. 395,203. Patented Dee. V25, 1888.

4 bmw-Kat Mxn-Ex :gmt/17217 A' lx y N4 FEYiRSPIwCo-Limugnpher. Washington. D. C.

*"NTTnaDr STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

MARTIN BARRI, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE METEOR DESPATCH COMPANY, OF PORTLAND,

MAINE.

PNEUMATIC CASH-CARRIER APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,203, dated December 25, 1888.

Application filed October l5, 1887. Serial No. 252,481. (No model.)

To all 'whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, MARTIN BARRI, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Impriwementsin Pneumatic Cash- CarrierApparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. u

This invention consists, in combination with a pneumatic tube for the transmission Io theretln'ough of a carrier or other article provided with an opening at which the carrier or other article is inserted for transmis ion through the tube, and a door or cover to said opening constructed and arranged to be I 5 locked or fastened when closed, ot means connected to said fastening' device, constructed and arranged to be operated by the carrier or other article to unfasten or disengage said fastening device when-the carrier or other article arrives at some desired point at or near the delivery end ot the pneumatic tube or is delivered at said end of the pneumatic tube, all substantially as hereinafter fully described. 2 5 The invention also consists in the combina tion, with the pneumatic tube and its door or cover to said opening, of certain other parts constructed and arranged for operatifm substantially as hereinafter 'full y descrilied, reterence being' had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, .in which Figure l. represents in front view a pneumatic tube arranged for thc transmission of a carrier or other article therethrough from 3 5 either end of the tube and having thcpresent improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section ot the end ot the pneumatic tube at the right in Fig. l; Fig. 3, a side elevation oit the end ot' the pneumatic tube at the let't in Fig. l; Fig. 4, a central vertical section of the tube on line L Je, Fig. l, but showing' some parts in different; positions Fig. 5, a detail crosssection on line 5 5, Fig. l, at the right, and Fig. (i, a detail cross-section on line o' o', liig. l, turned a quarter round to the lett.

In the drawings, A represents a pneumatic tube for the transmission therethrough of a carrier or other article 'from one end'or station, B, to the other end or station, C, or vice versa, the tube being properly secured to the table or stand I) at each'station and extendin from one end to the other through the iiooring E, as shown in Fig. l.

F is an opening at the end l in the tube A, where the carrier or other article is inserted into or delivered from the pneumatic tube at' such end, and G is another and similar opening in the tube AI at the end C for the same purposes. These openings F and G are made by cutting' out a portion of the :front side of the tube, as shown, sufficiently large to admit and deliver the carrier or other article to be transmitted through the tube, and at the opening F is a cover or door, H, made of a short piece of tubing closely encircling but free enough to move up and down over the tube A, and when down to close and when up to open its openin F, it being' limited in each movement by abutments or shoulders o a, respectively, on the tube. On each side of this door or cover ll is a spiral spring, J, secured to it and to the sides of the tube A, which by their tension act to hold the cover or door H up in the position shown in fl and el. and in Fig. l at the left, and when the cover is moved down over and to close its opening in the tube, as shown in Fig. 2 and the right end ot' Fig. l, it is against its springs J, which, when the door or cover is free, return it toits position to leave its opening tree and clear.

At the openingI G at the station end C is a door or cover, H, having' springs J and abutments constructed and arranged for operation at such opening the same as at the opening F.

The tube A below the table, at each end, as at K, is enlarged in order to allow for a short piece of tubing, Ii, to closely tit within the tube A, and yet be free to move up and down therein within certain limits, and this tube or pipe Ii has an opening', R, in one side, which, when'the tube is down in the position shown in Fig. 2, comes opposite to and is coincident with an opening', Q, toa pipe, S, which connects and communicates with the air-motor, and when it is moved up its part?) is opposite to and over the opening Q, as shown in Fig. 4, closing the same, the tube serving' as a valve or gate to said pipe S. Its internal diameter IOO is the same as the internal diameter of the main part of thc pneumatic tube, so that the carrier or other article can pass through it freely.y

Each tube or valve is connected by pitmanrods d to the cover or door H on the outside of the pneumatic tube by pins or screws f g, the ones g to the valve or g'ate L passing through vertical slots 7L in the tube A.

Vhen a cover, H, is moved down to close the opening F, it carries with it the valve or gate L, moving it. into position for its opening R to be opposite to the opening Q, leading' to the pipe S, as shown in Fig. 2. Thus when a carrier or other article is to be transmitted through the tube A it is put in the tube at one of the openings, F or G. lts cover H is then moved down over its opening', which correspondingly moves the gate or valve L down for its opening R to be coincident with the opening Q, leading to the pipe S, when, if air is forced through the pipe S, it will pass to the tube A through the openings Q R, forcing the carrier or other article along the -tube A to the other end, where it will be delivered, when, the door or cover at the end from which the carrier has been transmitted being allowed to rise to open its opening, its valve L will move with it and correspondingly close the opening to the pipe S and shut the air off from the motor. The pneumatic tube at each end extends up a short distance above the opening' and cover, as shown, being closed by any suitable cap or head, M, and above each opening F or G in the tube is a piston-head, N, arranged to-slide up and down freely therein. A central stem, m, eX- tends up from the piston-head N and projects through a central vertical opening', ln, in a block, p, secured within the tube A, and by a vertical longitudinal slot, q, engages with one end of a lever, T, passing through a slot, r, in the tube and pivoted at its other end at t to an arm, U, secured to the outside of the tube. Connected to this lever T at u is a wire, r, which runs down the side of the tube A and through the floor E and connects to one arm of a bell-crank, XV, pivoted below the floor, the other arm of this bell-crank being connected by a wire, Y, to an arm of another bell-crank, Z, pivoted below the floor at the end of the tube, which bell-crank by its other arm is connected by a wire, A', to an arm of a lever, B pivoted at r to a suitable support, its other arm having a notch, w, which is in position to engag'e with a notch, y, in an eX- tension of one, a', of the pitman-rods (Z when the cover is moved down into position to close its opening, as shown in l at the station C and in Fig. 2. This lever B has a spiral spring, ZJ', secured to it and to the support d', the tension of which serves to keep the catchlever B to its engagement with the catch of the cover or door and to force it to cngag'e therewith when the door is moved down to close its opening.

Vith the apparatus in its position shown in Fig. l, which is represented as ust having had a carrier or other article inserted at the opening' G at the station C, and the cover or door at such'end moved down to close said opening (it having ahandle, E, for convenience in operating' it) and locked in such position by the spring-catch B and the valve or gate L as down and striking against the piston-head N, forces and raises it, and by its stem m the lever T, (see Fig. 4,) which pulls by the wires and bellcranks connected therewith upon the lever B', atstation C, moving' it and diseng'aging its catch w from the catch-rod a of the cover or door, which then being' free to move, its springs .l exert their power and raise it, uncovering its opening' in the pneumatic tube ready for the insertion or delivery of a carrier thereat. After the carrier strikes the piston-head N it falls therefrom and out at the opening F at such end of the tube and is delivered onto the table. Back of each opening F or G is a wire spring', C', secured at d within a casing, D', atthe side of the tube and proj ecting' by its cent-ral bulging portion, f', into the pneumatic tube, as shown in Fig'. et, in the line of travel of the carrier through the tube, and its purpose is, as the carrier falls back from the piston-head N, for it to force the carrier by its tension out at the opening' F or G to insure its discharge at such opening' and not fall back down in the tube A below it. The spring, however, is arranged to act lightly, so as to have practically no effect on the carrier when it passes by it in coming from the transmitting' end of the tube, the momentum of the carrier at such time being' sufficient to insure that it shall pass to and strike the pis` ton-head N to diseng'age the catch w from the door or cover at the end from which the cal'- rier was transmitted; but as the momentum of the carrier when it falls from the pistonhead is reduced greatly and is quite light the spring is of suflicient power to act upon the carrier to then throw or force it out at the opening', where it will fall upon the table lightly. This spring' being the subject of my application Serial No. 251,631, no claim is made to it in this application.

Then the air-motor is operated by an engine or in any way independent of the person sendin g the article through the tube in transmitting any article through the pneumatic tube, he has only to insert it therein and close the door, which locks itself, when he can leave the apparatus and attend to other duties, for the carrier when it arrives at the delivery end of the tube will unlock and release the door, as described, which, with its valve, is then raised by its springs, leaving IOO IIO

its respective opening in the tube free for the insertion or deliveryof a carrier thereat and shutting off the air :from the air-motor.

In lieu of using' bell-cranks for changing the direction of pull of the wires, the wires can be adapted to run over pulleys, or the portion of the wire at such places can be of chain form inst-cad.

The valve L is connected to the door at its end of the tube in such manner that it will not be inoved to open until the door isnearly closed to prevent as much as possible air passing out at the opening F or G when shutting the door after placing a carrier therein, and this is accomplished by havingalongitudinal slot, g', in each pitman-rod d, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 more particularly, by which, when the door is nearly closed, the upper end, 7L', of the slots g will abut against thc pins g of the valve, and then in the continued down ward movement of the door will move the valve down and uncover the opening Q of the pipe S, leading to the air-motor for the air to passtherefrom to 4the pneumatic tube, the movement of the door being so much in excess of the required movement of the valve that it enables the closing of the valve to be done as described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim ism l. The combination, with a pneumatic tube provided with an opening for the insertion of a carrier or other article, and a cover or door adapted to move down and over said opening to close it, of a spring-catch arranged and adapted to engage with said door and hold it so closed, and connected to mechanism for operation thereof by the carrier or other article in its passage through the tube to release or disengage said catch, for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with apncumatic tube provided with an opening for the insertion of a carrier or other article, and a cover or door adapted to move down and over said opening to close it, of a spring-catch arranged and adapted to engage with said door and hold it so closed, and connected to a pistonhead arranged to move back and forth in said tube for operation thereof by the carrier or other article in its passage through the tube to release or disengage said catch, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with a pneumatic tube provided with an opening for the insertion of a carrier or other article, and a cover or door adapted to move' down and over said opening to close it, of a spring-catch arranged and adapted to engage with said door and hold it so closed, and connected by wires and suitable bell-cranks to a piston-head arranged to move back and forth in said tube for operation thereof by the carrier or other article in its passage through the tube to release or disengage said catch, for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, with a pneumatic tube provided with an opening, F, for the insertion of a carrier or other article, and an opening, Q, comm unicatiilg with any suitable airmotor, and a cover or door to said opening F, connected to a gate or valve, L, of the opening Q, of a spring-catch arranged and adapted to engage with said door and hold it so closed, and connected to mechanism for operation thereof by the carrier or other article in its passage through the tube to release or disengage said catch, for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, with apneumatic tube provided with an opening', F, for the insertion of a carrier or other article, and an Opening, Q, communicating withany suitable airmotor, and a cover or door to said opening F, connected to a gate or valve, L, of the open ing Q, of a spring-catch arranged and adapted to engage with said door and hold it so closed, and connected to a piston-head, P, arranged to move back and forth in said tube for operation thereof by the carrier or other article in its passage through the tube to release or disen gage said catch, for the purpose specified.

(j. The combination, wit-ha pneumatictube provided with an opening for the insertion of a carrier or other article, and a cover or door adapted to move down and over said opening to close it, of a gate or valve, L, to the opening Q between said tube and the airmotor, connected to said cover or door by pitman-rods (Z and pins g and having slots g', substantially as and for the purpose specilied.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARTIN BARRI.

IOO 

